Trammel point for pitchometers



May 7, 1935- B. o. GODFREY TRAMMEL POINT FOR PITCHOMETERQ Filed July 27, 1932 5 Sheet$Sheet 1 INVENTOR BY '4, 4 ATTORNEY May 7, 1935. B. o. GODFREY TRAMMEL POINT FOR FITCHOMETERS Filed July 27, 1932 5 Sheets-Sheet 2 IN VE TOR reg TTORNEY BerI'O. G0

May 7, 1935. B. o. GODFREY 2,000,231

TRAMMEL POINT FOR PITCHOMETERS Filed July 27, 1932 5 Sheets-Sheet 3 40 introduces an element of uncertainty and guesshate the Same.

Patented May 7, 1935 J; 1t 1 i a i UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICEv TRAMMEL POINT FOR PIToHoMETERs Q I Bert o, Godfrey, Brooklyn, N; Y. Y Application July 27, 1932, Serial No.'624', 9 81 .9 Claims. (01335-174) I 1 My invention relates to pitchometers, thatis held so that the pivot axis of the plate thereon to say, to tools which are intended for the measwas always in the radialplanethrough 'the' prourement of angular magnitudes upon the blades peller axis, and the rod *could not-- be twisted. of propellers, in the course of testing the pro- Consequently; shifting of'the trammel points peller blade or bringing it to the point where its laterally necessitated that one or the other be 5 surfaces follow the intended formula for the exactly upon the circle, and the other oif the particular blade, and have the proper pitch. circle, or both would haveto be ofithe circle, and 'In effect, former pitchometers have comprised this introduced an error of measurement. Fura rod which is intended to be brought into parthermore, there was the error attributable to 10 allelisi'n with the axis of the propeller being r'neasthe fact that thepcints'of'contactof the trammel, ured, a plate pivotally mounted upon and copointswith the blade were not equidistant from operating with the rod to indicate these angular and at oppo -Sides 0f theradial plane through -magnitudes, and intended to be placed in'a plane the axis and including the piv t 0f the plate-I at right angles to a plane radially of the" pro- It is the objectof my present invention to peller axis, and trammel points upon the lower eliminate t e- 8 and toiprovide 5 edge ofthe plate to contact with the propeller a pitchometer whlchshall be to a h g degree a blade along circles of known diameter, and thus pr is y'a u a a s 't t p n s f ntac reference to charts t was bl t deterof the trammel points with the blade shall always mine if the pitch angle at the particular diameter e equidistant from and at PD des of a being measured corresponded to that required a l-p the p opeller axis and in- 20 by the propellers formula, or if the pitch discluding the pivctaxis o the p a n e c tance was correct at a given diameter. I so that these trammel pointsmay always lie in Because of the material necessarily surrounda common chord, the" median point of which is ing the pivot point of the plate,and because the in the radial plane t Permitting he mustpass through the pivot axis, the trammel circle at thegi e di me /am neither O e to points upon the plate were of necessity below e f tha c rc e; the base line through the pivot or the plate upon t is-a furth r 'bie tjt d vise a p t h meter the rod. Any appreciable angular movement of having means incorporated in it for accomplishthe plate away from the horizontal throws these ing the abo e ic means th be p trammel points, one farther away from a plane able to the handtool or to thernore complicated radially ofthe propeller axis and including this machine, n a device h' i be p f pivot axis, and the other closer intoward that accuracy in manuftictllre andtalisembly, y etj i plane, and consequently the actual points 'of co'ri- 'p c to make,- and automaticin'itS O tact would not be equidistant from such a plane. y inv t on co p i es "th ovel parts and All thiswill be made clear in the discussion of the novel combination and-arrangement thereof, the diagrams. This error might be compensated as shown in theaccompany aw ngs, defor by shifting the sight rod which was intended Sc ibed'in the specification, andas will be more for alignment with the propeller axis, but this particularly fined by the'claims which termi work, and to some extent impairs the accuracyof e c p y d awin s I have shown the measurement. Also it makes it necessary, my nve diagrammatic form, d t in order that the points might both contact with have sh wn he sam n njunction with the the circleof known diameter, that the plate be operative machine with which it will find its inclined somewhat out of the exact plane pergreatest usefulness. A5 pendicular to the radial plane through the pro- Figure 1 is a face view of the tool most genpeller axis, and the plates pivot axis does not erally used in such measurements, of the type lie in this plane. Otherwise, one point might shown inmy Patent No. 1,932,103, referred to rest upon this circle, and'theother be insideor above. 1 I outside of the circle, as the case might be; Figure 2 is a sideelevation of such atool. 50

In larger machines of the type illustrated in .1 Figure 3 is a detail. sectional view, taken on the my Patents Nos.1,547,38 0 and 1,932,103, the line 3'-3 of Figure 1. latter feature was accentuated by reason of the Figure 4 is a diagrammatic face view of a simfact that the sight rod or drop rod, was held ple hand tool, and Figure 5 a similar view of the. rigidly in a guide to slide vertically and tobe same in adifierent position."

base line of the angular measure upon the plate trammel points 0th "to Contact in the common Figure 6 is a diagram of the bearing points of The parts of the tool may take variousforms; and shapes, but usually it is essential thatthere be a sight rod or drop rod I- which is' intendedto be maintained parallel to the axis .ofthepropeller being measured. Associated with this, and usually pivotally supported upon an axis'atlIZ; is an angle measuring device, such as the plate 2.

The plate is intended to be maintainedin a plane perpendicular to a plane radially throughthe propeller axis and-parallel to that axis. Movement of. theplateaboutits pivot,'relative to the rod I, gives an opportunity to measure andindicate angular magnitude, but in the form shown in Figuresl, 2 and -3- the indication is not directly-between the plate 2and rod I,- though it might well be, but rather a dial is pivoted at 2| upon the rod I, and is connected by apinion 22 to a gear'segment 23 upon the plate 2-. Thus the movement ,of the plate is magnified, causing much greater movementof the dial 20, whereby the index I I, carried upon the rod I or a bracket I3 supportedthereon, will cooperate with lines and graduations upon thedial 20 to indicate in effect the angulardisplacement ofthe plate 2 from a zero position, actually the pitch distance at a number of different diameters.

'To complete the tool, in addition to the sight rod I, the plate 2, and indicating devices, there must be two spaced points for contact with the propeller blade B, and connected in such manner as to control movement ofthe plate 2. Such points are illustrated at 3 and 30. In the hand tool shown in Figures 4 and5, the points 3 ,and

are formed directly upon the plateZ, and of necessity depend below the baseline L.

For the present let us considerthe hand too thus formed. If it could be conceived that the blade surface to which the'trammel points 3 and 39 are applied waslevel, thenrthebase lineL of the tool would be level, as in- Figure 4 (that is, at right angles to the sight rod which is-aligned with the propeller axis). In that casethe points 3 and 30 would engage the surface 'of the blade, indicated by the line S inFigure4, atpoints P and P which lie both on the same circle C struck from the axis or the propeller, and both points would be equidistant from andat opposite sides of a plane radially through the axis ofthe propeller, indicated in Figure 6 by the 'line A.

In other words, since the points P and 'Plie on a circle, a line connecting them-would define a chord of that circle, and the plane A would bisect that chord. V

This, however, isa theoretical condition, for the surface of the propeller blade,being of the nature of a screw,-cannotbe perpendicular to the axis of the propeller, and therefore the plate 2' cannot have its base linelevel.- The true'condition, then,is

such as is represented in Figure 5. The base line L has been tilted to lie parallel to, the general plane of the'surface S,- and because the points P and?" are below this base line, they are thrown to one side of the points? and P? which are the projections of these points from a level plane, and the points 3 and 30 actually contact with the surface S at points X and X. The zero line of the plate 2, which formerly coincided with the plane A, is now displaced, as indicated at Z in Figure5, to oneside of the plane A. This throws the trammel point 3 well'inside the proper position at P, and the trammel point 3|] is thrown somewhat outside the proper position, indicated at P. V

- Referring to Figure '7, if we conceive that the drop rod I is so held that it cannot be shifted laterally, or twisted, we find the point X does not strike the circle C at the extremity of the chord which includes the points P and P. If the pointX is made to coincide with the circle C, the point X will lie outside that circle. If the point X is made 'to'coincide with the circle, the point X does not lie on the circle. Since accuracy is only obtained by maintaining both points upon the circle, and equidistant from and at opposite sides ofthe plane A whichis a radial plane through the propeller axis, and including the pivot I2 of the plate upon the drop rod, it follows that theaccuracy of the measurement is destroyed. 1

t has been found in practice that this inaccuracy is not of great moment in ordinary operations, and does not become serious except as the pitchangle approaches a high angle. However,

.since it is desired to produce propellers which are exactly accurate, and thereby to eliminate vibra tion and loss of power, it is not possible by old methods and devices to approach the necessary .degree of accuracy.

The inaccuracy is seen to occur, from study of Figures 4 to 1 inclusive, from the fact that the two trammel points do not touch the circle, in the course of the ordinary measurement, and do not lie both in a common chord of that circle.

Accordingly, I have provided a parallelogram mountingof the trammel points which will maintainthem always equidistant from the radial .plane through the propeller axis and including the pivot I2 of the plate, and which will maintain them in such relative position that they can both touch the same circle in all positions.

Referring now to Figures 1 and 2, the trammel points 3 and 30 are formed atthe lower ends of links 3| and 32, respectively, which at their upper ends are pivotedto the plate 2, at the points 33 and 34, these points being equidistant from the pivot point I2, and at opposite sides thereof, and.

,when, the plate 2 is in zero position and the rod I is'vertical, it is preferable that a straight line join the pivot axes 33, I2 and 34, and that this line be level. The lower end of the rod I is extended somewhat below the pivot axis at I2, as

shown at I4, and a lever 39 is pivoted at 38 directly below the pivot I2, and at its opposite ends it connects-to the links 3| and 32 at the points and 36. {Ihe lever39 is arranged to be parallel to the line drawn through the pivots 33, I2 and 34, and the distances between pivots on the lever 39 are the-same as the distances between 33 and I 2, and

34 and I2, and'thus there is formed a parallelogram, whereby the links 3| and 32 are always :maintained parallel to each other, and are always which is pivoted the links and 32, and which f carries the pivot l2. With the parts in the horizontal position, corresponding to Figure i, the

trammel points 3 and 30 make contact at the points P and P, as in Figure 6. Now as the points are applied to the circle C upon the inclined surface S the tilting of the levers 31 and 39'- shortens the rectilinear'distance'from the pivot points the points P and P, andeach by an equal-amount "inside, and-in effect they contact with the circle at the extremity of nearly the same chord Whatever variation arises because the twochords'are not precisely identical is compensated for-in the calibration of the dial 20." f"

Toa certain extent th'eferro'rs' producedby the form oftool shown in Figures4 and 5 can be' compensated for if the hand tool is'used, but the operative machine u sed in such determinations includes a rigid vertical guide 4carried at the end 42 which is centered by cones or like members 43 in the hub of the propeller. Thesevariousparts are so designed that the index member II and the pivot axis l2 lie in the radial plane through the propeller axis, and consequently there is no lateral shifting of the trammel points possible in this form. The drop rod I carries a rack bar l5 which effects its vertical movement by a pinion (not shown) controlled by the hand wheel I6 carried upon the guide 4. In like manner lateral movement of the arm 40 is controlled by a rack and pinion arrangement under the control of a hand wheel 44. In consequence of the impossibility of shifting to compensate for the error, the parallelogram arrangement is of particular importance in association with the large operative tool shown in Figures 1, 2 and. 3, although it would be found useful also upon the hand tool.

What I claim as my invention is:

1. In a pitchometer, in combination, a rod adapted to be disposed in definite relationship to the propeller axis, a pair of spaced trammel points adapted to contact with the propeller blade, an angle-measuring device separate from said trammel points and pivotally supported upon said rod, means operatively connecting said device and the trammel points to move the device relatively to the rod in accordance with the position assumed by the trammel points, and means automatically operable to maintain said trammel points, for all operative positions thereof, equidistant from and at opposite sides of a radial plane of the propeller through the pivot of the angle-measuring device.

2. In a pitchometer, in combination, arod adapted to be disposed in definite relationship with the propeller axis, a graduated plate disposed in a plane at right angles to a radial plane through the propeller axis, and parallel to the propeller axis, said plate being pivotally supported for movement in its own plane upon the rod, and cooperating with the rod to measure angular magnitudes, a pair of spaced trammel points separate from the plate and independently supported from the rod, and adapted to contact with the blade of the propeller, means operatively connecting the trammel points to the plate to move the latter in accordance with the movement of the trammel points, so that by the relative position of the trammel points they deter-- minethe position of the platerelative to the rod,

the operative connection between the trammel points and plate including means to maintain a the trammel points, for all positions, in a'chord of the circle upon the blade at, the diameter being measured, and equidistant from and atopposite sides of its median'point. I r J I In apitchometer, in combination, a support for application-to a propeller including a guide outwardly of and parallel to the propeller axis, a drop rod slidable in said guide, a plate pivot- -ally supported'upomsaid rod about an axis disposed in a radial plane through the propeller axis, and at right angles to such'axis, said plate and rod cooperating-to indicate angular magnitudes, apair of trammel pointsadapted'forcontact-witha propeller blade, defininlg a line below the pivot axis of said plate at all times,'and means to support the trammel points from the plate,

and to confine-them' to movement through parallel positions, parallel to and equidistant at opposite sldes'of a plane radi'allyoi the propeller axis and including the'axis of *the plate upon'the rod. of a lateral arm 40, which arm is adjustable in 1 and out in a rigid guide 4| carried upon a postj outwardly of and parallel to the propeller axis,

4. Ina pitchometer, in combination, a support ior -application 'to' a propeller including aguide a droprod slidable in said "guide, a plate pivotally-Supported upon said rod upon an axis disposed in a radial plane through the propeller axis,

and at right angles to such axis, said plate and rod cooperating to indicate angular magnitudes, a pair of trammel points pivotally supported upon said plate about axes parallel to and equidistant from the pivot axis of the plate upon the rod, and

a lever pivoted respectively upon the rod and an angle-measuring plate pivotally supported upon said rod and movable relative thereto, said links being pivotally supported by their, upper ends from said plate, at opposite sides of and equidistant from the pivotal support of the plate,

whereby the plate is movable relative to the rod in accordance with the positions assumed by the trammel points, and means to maintain said links, for all positions, equidistant from and parallel to a plane radially of the propeller and including the pivot of the angle-measuring device.

6. In a pitchometer, in combination, an upright rod adapted to be disposed parallel to the propeller axis, a pair of links'spaced apart and each terminating at its lower end in a trammel point adapted to contact with the propeller blade, an angle-measuring plate pivotally supported upon said rod and movable relative thereto, said links being pivotally supported by their upper ends from said plate, at opposite sides of and equidistant from the pivotal support of the plate, whereby the plate is movable relative to the rod in accordance with the positions assumed by the trammel points, and a lever pivoted between its ends upon the rod oifset'from the plates pivot, and pivotally engageable with each link at a distance equal to the distance from the plates pivot to the pivot of the links upon the plate, thereby lel positions, at opposite sides of, parallel to, and

,equidistant'from a plane radially of the propeller jaxis and including the axis of the plate upon the erod.'

7.,In a pitchometer,incombination, a support and a member pivotally mounted thereon, the -two constitutinga gauging pair, with one of which is associated ascale. and 'withthe other of which is associated a cooperating index, means ,to dispose the support in definite relationship to the propeller axis, trammel points mounted uponand controlling movement of the pivoted member, and depending below the pivot -axis of thegaugingrpair, and means to maintain said trammel points, ior all positions of the )member relative to the support, in that plane perpendicular to a radial plane of the propeller :which includes the, pivot axis referred to, and equidistant from and at opposite sides of such radial plane; j r

8. In a pitchometer for measuring screw propellers, a support and a member pivotally mount- ,ed thereon,. the two constituting a gauging, pair, with one of which is asociated. a scale and with the other of which is associated a cooperating index, means to dispose the support in definite relationshipto the propelleris axis, means supporting the trammel points from said support,

and. means operatively connecting the trammel points to move the pivoted member relatively to said support, and the trammel point supporting and connecting means being disposed and arranged to effect movement of the points closer together as the pitch angle of any given blade increases, nearer the propeller axis, and

farther apart' as the pitch angle thereof decreases, nearer ,the'blades tip.

9. In a pitchometer, in combination, a support and a member pivotally mounted thereon, the two constituting a gauging pair, with one of which is associated a; scale and withthe other of which v is associated a cooperating index, means to dispose the support in definite relationship to the propeller axis, trammel points separate from said member andsupported from said support formovement relatively thereto towards and from the pivot of said member, means .operatively' connecting the trammel points and said .member to' move the latter in accordance with movement of the trammel points, said latter means including means to maintain said trammel points, for all positions ofthe pivoted'member, in a plane perpendicular to a radial plane of the. propeller, and equidistant from and at opposite sides of such radial plane.

- BERT O. GODFREY. 

